Public raffles, online contests, lucky draws, sweepstakes and lottery tickets are some of the contests that most people love to participate. While there are many who believe in luck, most participate just for the fun of it. And it was just for fun that Harikrishnan V Nair decided to enter the 'Big Ticket' raffle.

In 2017, Harikrishnan purchased three lottery tickets, one in March, the second in November and another in December. Little did he know that this third ticket would win him the biggest-ever raffle prize money in all of Abu Dhabi.

Hailing from Alleppey, Harikrishnan moved to Dubai in 2002 and has been residing there since, working as a business development manager for a construction company. On the draw that took place on January 7th, Harikrishnan emerged as the winner, getting a whopping12 million Dirham prize (Rs 20 crore).

A visibly surprised Harikrishnan says he did not believe the news even when many people called him. “I kept thinking it was a prank for a very long time. But when many people started calling, informing me of my win, I was too stumped to believe it.” Overnight, Harikrishnan turned into a celebrity with many news agencies reporting his win. Soon, calls started pouring in for Harikrishnan from all corners of the world.

“The best thing that happened, apart from winning, is that I got to reconnect with a lot of my old friends. Not being there on social media, I thought I had lost many contacts but friends, scattered in countries like Ireland, USA, UAE, etc, got in touch with me after a very long time,” gushes Harikrishnan.

Not being able to visit his mother in India for over two years, Harikrishnan plans to fly down to his hometown very soon. When asked what he plans to do with his win, Harikrishnan shares that he’s got his thoughts on post-retirement plans. “Me and my wife are very happy with our current employment. This money will be very helpful in our son’s education and it is also a great opportunity for us to indulge in charity.”

Harikrishnan attributes his win to the will of God and is very thankful for his good fortune. "One thing I'd like to convey to the others is that the whole idea is to participate and to not worry too much even if you don't win," he says.